Nine cyclists will represent Rwanda in the forthcoming UCI Road World Championship which will take place in Zurich, Switzerland, from September 22-29.

Team Rwanda has for the past few weeks been training at the Africa Rising Cycling Centre based in Musanze District, Northern Province preparing for the championship.

Rwanda will be represented in Women Elite, Men U23 and Men Juniors category

However, the country was not allowed to field a men’s senior team for the World Championship because it does not have enough points allowing them to have representatives in that category.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) indicated that countries above 50th place in [senior] men category, as of August 20, 2024, will not be able to field cyclists in the global cycling competition.

Currently, Rwanda ranks sixth in Africa and the 48th globally.

According to the selected roster, Diane Ingabire, Xaverine Nirere, Jazilla Mwamikazi and Valentine Nzayisenga will competre in women’s category.

The U23 men’s team has three representatives in Vainqueur Masengesho, Samuel Niyonkuru and Étienne Tuyizere while Moïse Ntirenganya and Kevin Nshutiraguma will compete in the youth category.

All the riders will compete in road races.

In the individual races, Ingabire and Nirere will play in the women's category, Masengesho and l Niyonkuru in the U23 category while Ntirenganya and Nshutiraguma will play in the youth category.

Meanwhile, Ingabire, Masengesho, Mwamikazi, Nirere, Niyonkuru, Valentine and Tuyizere will compete in team race.

The riders were flagged off by Sports Minister Richard Nyirishema on Wednesday evening.

After Zurich, Kigali will be the next stop for the UCI Road World Championship which will take place in September 2025.